YI QUAN TRAINING COURSE

Yi Quan, a unique martial art system,  was founded by Master Wang Xiang Zhai in the 1920s. The basic training consists of two separate but interrelated parts, the martial art aspect and the health preservation aspect.

Yi Quan's distinctive approach emphasizes on the training of the “Yi” and the harmonious relaxation of the body.  Yi Quan employs static postural stance training to develop coordinated body movements.  The training ultimately results in mastering the total harmony of the mind and the body in terms of

“Hsing” (form),
“Yi”      (intent),
“Li”      (power),
“Chi”    (energy), and
“Shen”  (mental and spiritual presence).

The health preservation aspect in Yi Quan aims to promote the proper neuromuscular coordination, cardiovascular stimulation, and body metabolism.  This consists mainly of the static stance training that has been proven to be beneficial in alleviating some chronic health problems such as arthritis, neurasthenia, hypertension, gastroenteric and respiratory disorders.

The direct approach in this short course will offer individuals who are interested in health, functional kinematics, or martial arts a core and basis view of Yi Quan.  The course will help in exploring the full potential of the interrelationship between the mind and the body.

  CONTENT 

STATIC STANCE (ZHAN ZHUANG)   站樁

This is a commonly employed training technique in many martial art systems.  The uniqueness of Yi Quan Static Stance (Yi Quan Zhan Zhuang)  意拳站樁  is in the emphasis on the activities of the mental aspect.

Intent (Yi) 意  is the basis of all training.  Specific stances are taught to enhance efficient transfer of Energy (Qi) 氣  and to stabilize different postural forms.  By using different static stances, the training of Intent (Yi)  意  is gradually incorporated into the Form (Xing) 形 .  This unique training will initiate the body into the state of “interconnected wholeness”
- a “totality” or a “harmonious wholeness” both internally and externally.  This solid foundation must be achieved before one embarks on further training in Yi Quan.

SENSING DYNAMIC MOVEMENT (SHI LI)  試力

After acquiring the basic skills in Static Stance, the next step is to verify such skills in slow movements.  Specific slow  movements involving the head, neck, body, and extremities are taught.

During these movements different aspects of body coordination are verified.  The emphasis of Intent (Yi) 意  forms the basis of Shi Li.  It is in this stage that the feeling of “interconnected wholeness” within the different body parts during movement and of “interconnected wholeness” of the body to the external environment is further developed.

TRAINING FOOT WORK (MO CA BU)  摩擦步

Foot work training is a vital aspect of Yi Quan.  Specific techniques of foot work are used in Sensing Dynamic Movement (Shi Li)  試力.  The different aspects of Delivery of Dynamic Power (Fa Li)  發力 when incorporated with the use of foot work is of primary importance in Yi Quan.

AUGMENTING WITH VOCALIZATION (SHI SHENG) 試聲

This is the right way of using one's voice to augment the delivery of dynamic power.

PUSHING HANDS (TUI SHOU) 推手

This is the training of conditional reflexes of the hands and feet while engaged in different hand-to-hand contact situations.  The reflexes are trained in accordance with the movements in Yi Quan.

DELIVERY OF DYNAMIC POWER (FA LI) 發力

It is in this stage that a practitioner of Yi Quan learns how to concentrate and release Dynamic power.  The total harmony of the mind and the body in terms of

Form (Xing) 形,
Intent (Yi)    意,
Power (Li)   力,
Energy (Qi) 氣,
and mental and spiritual presence (Shen) 神

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